The right tunes can help you get more out of every workout.

If you exercise while listening to music, you feel more motivated. It can make your workout more enjoyable, and research has shown that music can even help you exercise harder and longer.

But not all music has this magical effect. In fact, different songs motivate people for different reasons. A fast pace might be key for some, while for others it might be a song they love or the lyrics themselves that are motivating.

There is one factor that makes a particular difference when it comes to your workout playlist, though: beats per minute (BPM). Slower songs have a slower BPM, while faster songs have a faster BPM, and matching BPM to your specific activity can help make your workout more effective. The beat keeps the pace at the right level.

There are guidelines for what BPM you could use for different workouts, which can be helpful if you’re making your own playlist:
– Power walking: 135-150 BPM
– Running: 150-175 BPM
– Cycling: 95-130 BPM
– Kickboxing: 145-160 BPM

For example, “Beat It” (139 BPM) by Michael Jackson would be a good song to put on when going for a power walk. “On Top of the World” (100 BPM) by Imagine Dragons would likely rev up your energy while cycling. “We Got The Beat” from The Go Go’s (152 BPM) is a great tune to play during a kickboxing session or a run.

So how do you know the BPM of songs? Websites like SongBPM make it easy to figure out the BPM of your favourite songs. You can even alter the BPM of songs with apps like TempoMagic and RockMyRun.

However, you don’t have to stick with the same BPM for the entire workout, especially if you’re doing interval training (where you might alternate between moving faster and moving slower), or if you’re doing a walk or run where you want to start slow and finish at a faster pace. Simply put a few faster songs in your playlist at strategic places where you know you’ll want to pick up the pace.

Another important aspect to consider: variety. Having new playlists and songs every time you exercise helps your workouts feel fresh. Don’t feel like making a new playlist for every single workout? Having even a handful of playlists that you can rotate between can help boost your motivation, as can playlist apps.